COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
CHP SUBJECT MATTER
EXPERT COMMUNITY
GREATER DETROIT
AREA HEALTH COUNCIL
Detroit, MI
COMMUNITY OVERVIEW
The Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC) is a not-forprofit organization that has extensive knowledge of data analysis,
performance measurement, and data dissemination. GDAHC currently
works as one of seven initiatives across the country focused on
the use of electronic health records and supporting data to identify
population-level issues, such as antibiotic use for viral infections and
appropriate screening for Vitamin D deficiencies, with a goal to improve
quality, health, and efficiency. As a part of the Community Health Peer
Learning (CHP) Program, GDAHC is dedicated to transparency in data
sharing, and has successfully launched a system of multi-payer data
measurement and public reporting of physician performance on its
website (myCareCompare.org). Further, GDAHC provides aggregated
individual physician level data to physician organizations to guide
quality improvement.
KEY INSIGHTS & LESSONS
GDAHC offers decades of experience of key lessons and process
steps learned from past community-wide, multi-sector collaborative
endeavors:
• A business case needs to be developed for each relevant
stakeholder. It is important that all stakeholders understand what can
be achieved from working together from both a population health /
quality improvement perspective, and also from an efficiency and cost
perspective.
• Form an advisory group. Some type of governing team should lead
each initiative to set goals, identify relevant partners and data sources,
provide oversight and continuous monitoring to the work, establish
the data needs and sharing principles and agreements, and identify
sustainability plans and spread, among other activities.
“Choosing Wisely is a good place for communities and cross-sector
stakeholders to start thinking about collaborating, as it focuses not
just on population health improvement measures but also clinical
procedures and measures that have room for improvement from an
efficiency or use perspective.”
• Identify a physician champion. If work involves engaging physicians,
it is important and necessary to identify a physician champion to assist
in facilitating interest and engagement from the broader physician
community.
• Project management. Set achievable community/population level
goals (and at the same time, recognize the “big hairy audacious goals”
that can be used as stretch goals), manage to the goals (roll the log),
and show progress to keep the momentum and people at the table.
Follow Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA).
COMMUNITY SNAPSHOT
Site Type
Regional Health Improvement Collaborative (Not-for-profit)
Areas of Expertise
Data Analysis
• Access and assess baseline data from EHRs, claims data, and population-level data
Performance Measurement + Data Dissemination
• Distribute consumer education materials
• Multi-payer data measurement and public reporting of physician performance
• Provide aggregated individual physician-level data to physician organizations
• Identify health priorities using data presented at Steering Committee meetings
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
PARTNERS/COLLABORATORS
• Choosing Wisely Initiative: GDAHC’s Choosing Wisely initiative focuses on
• The Henry Ford Physician Network (HFPN): HFPN is a physician-led
the use of EHR and other supporting data to identify a series of populationlevel goals for improvements in quality, health, and efficiency. Work includes
accessing and assessing baseline data from EHRs, claims data, and
other population-level data; interventions at the physician and physician
organization level; consumer-facing messaging and other data driven
strategies for better decision making, quality, and care; and achieving
certain population-level goals for each focus area.
• Public Transparency: GDAHC facilitates stakeholder collaboration for public
transparency around quality, cost, and patient experience, with teams dedicated
to data measurement, reporting, and patient experience surveying. The multipayer measurement reports are published on myCareCompare.org and provide
aggregated individual physician level data to physician organizations for internal
quality and performance improvement efforts.
• Data-Driven Interventions: GDAHC evaluates data collected through its
public reporting initiative and identifies opportunities for improvement.
In one instance, GDAHC identified a community issue of ED use for PCP
treatable conditions and convened a team to develop effective strategies to
encourage appropriate ED utilization. PCP practices participating in the pilot
were able to successfully reduce their patients’ ED use for PCP treatable
conditions from 49.2 visits/1000 to 7.3 visits/1000.
LEAD AGENCY
• Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC) (www.gdahc.org) is a cross-
sector, multi-stakeholder non-profit organization in Southeast Michigan
(SEMI) that leads transformational programs designed to improve health,
increase access to whole-person care, and ensure that health care is
affordable. It is a Regional Health Improvement Collaborative, member and
governing participant of the Network for Regional Health Improvement, and a
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Aligning Forces for Quality grantee.
Clinically Integrated Network located in SEMI, with over 1,700 physicians. The
mission and primary objective is to achieve the goals of: (i) placing patients
and their families at the center of all activities; (ii) ensuring coordination of
care regardless of time or place; (iii) attending carefully to care transitions;
(iv) managing resources carefully and respectfully; (v) proactively reaching
out to patients with reminders and advice; (vi) being innovative in improving
care and health while lowering costs; and (vii) investing continually in
the development and pride of its workforce, including affiliated clinicians,
while simultaneously improving care for individuals, improving health of
populations, and lowering growth in health care expenditures.
• Detroit Medical Center Physician Hospital Organization (DMC
PHO): DMC PHO is a physician organization with 681 member physicians
practicing in SEMI. DMC PHO facilitates physician participation in health
plans and provides services that promote quality and efficiency in the
practice and business of healthcare. DMC PHO has successfully participated
as a Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) through the Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services with a subset of their participating
physicians, realizing improvements in care and cost reductions.
• The Michigan State Medical Society (MSMS): MSMS is the state’s
premier professional association for medicine with over 15,000 physicians,
residents, and medical students statewide and will assist with spread
and education. Since its founding in 1866, MSMS has been committed to
promoting a health care environment that supports physicians in caring for
and enhancing the health of Michigan (MI) citizens through science, quality,
and ethics in the practice of medicine.
• The UAW Retiree Medical Benefit Trust: The UAW Retiree Medical
Benefits Trust (the “Trust”) provides health care benefits for retired UAW
members of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, along with their eligible
dependents. When the Trust launched in January 2010, it became the largest
non-governmental purchaser of retiree health care in the United States,
covering over 860,000 persons. The UAW Trust is pleased to collaborate with
The Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC) to promote Choosing Wisely.
MEET THE PROJECT TEAM!
Roger Panella, M.B.A.
Chief Operating Officer
CHP Role: Project Lead
Contact: rpanella@gdahc.org
Ask him about:
Kate Kohn-Parrott, M.B.A., C.M.A., C.I.A.
President and CEO
CHP Role: Senior Advisory and Leadership
Contact: katekohnparrott@gdahc.org
Ask her about:
Chris Ross
Research Assistant
CHP Role: Project Coordinator
Contact: cross@gdahc.org
Ask him about:
Terrisca Des Jardins, M.H.S.A.
Title
CHP Role: Technical Consultant and Writer
Contact: terrisca@hotmail.com
Ask her about:
•
Business operations
•
Process management
•
Strategy and tactics
•
Continuous process improvement
•
Leadership
•
Fostering relationships
•
Vision and strategy
•
Financial management and control
•
Project management
•
Administration
•
Managing relationships
•
Analysis
•
Public health administration
•
Strategic guidance
•
Expert content management
COMMUNITY HEALTH PEER LEARNING PROGRAM www.academyhealth.org/CHPhealthIT